Week 5 Update: Legislators enter a pivotal stretch as four marijuana measures line up for committee hearings and others progress to the next step. Senator Payne R-LD27 will present SB1641 to create marijuana producer licenses and SCR1047 to address fraud tied to marijuana social equity claims. Committees will also take up SB1725 and SCR1048, which …
Week four of Arizona’s legislative session marked a turning point for cannabis policy. Bills moved quickly, committees sharpened their positions, and lawmakers signaled where they stand on voter‑approved legalization. Some proposals aim to modernize and protect the system voters created. Others take a sharper turn, using nuisance law and criminal presumptions to restrict cannabis without …
Week Four at the Capitol: The Evil Twins Take Center Stage Read More »
Week three at the Capitol brings momentum, with Senator Payne, a Republican from Legislative District 27, introducing two cannabis-related bills. Both measures signal serious movement on marijuana policy. Here’s a closer look. Arizona Expands Medical Marijuana Access and Boosts Safety Standards Senator Payne introduced SB 1640, Marijuana; Qualifying Illnesses; Testing; Complaints, on Friday afternoon. The …
Senator Payne Drops Two Cannabis Bills as Legislative Week Three Picks Up Speed Read More »
Arizona lawmakers came out swinging during the first week of the session, introducing five cannabis-related bills. Week two told a very different story. Only one marijuana bill appeared and it brought a familiar name and an even stranger concept back into the conversation. The Rural Opportunity Initiative Makes a Comeback Sen. David Gowan, a Republican …
Cannabis Bills Cool Off, but a Rural Proposal Pops Back Up- Update Week 2 Read More »
The green lawn at the state Capitol came alive Monday as lawmakers returned to start a new legislative year. After months of quiet, the grounds buzzed with activity. A college marching band, better than usual by most accounts, played throughout the morning, while protesters filled the pauses between songs with chants and calls for attention. …
Capitol Lawn Springs Back to Life, 2026 Legislation Update Week 1 Read More »
The year is 2050. Federal laws never changed and cannabis is still stuck on Schedule I. Sure, Congress passed banking reforms and federal tax measures, but legalization? That never really happened. Just taxation. Somehow, there was plenty of funding for that. Not enough to end prohibition. Almost like the industry kept cannabis locked in its …
Arizona 2050: How Big Marijuana Took Over Everything Read More »
YUMA, Ariz. — Hemp stalks soared into the desert sky, swaying with each hot gust of wind. Walking between the rows felt like entering another era—no walls, no buzzing lights, just land, scorching sun, and green stalks stretching tall and proud. The plants grew thick and wild, turning dry fields into narrow green corridors. Sunlight …
A Hemp Oasis in the Desert: Yuma Revives One of America’s Oldest Crops Read More »
Imagine one of Arizona’s county attorneys — maybe Shelia Polk in Yavapai County or Rachel Mitchell in Maricopa — filing a federal lawsuit to protect the right to own guns while legally using medical cannabis. Picture them standing in front of TV cameras, waving an Arizona medical marijuana card and quoting the Second Amendment. Arizona …
A Pennsylvania DA’s Lawsuit Could Force The Supreme Court to finally Pick A Side. Read More »
PHOENIX July 8th — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is ramping up her office’s crackdown on underage nicotine sales by filing sweeping civil lawsuits against multiple Valley vape shops. But in a troubling twist for cannabis consumers and small business owners, her strategy is also entangling legal cannabis paraphernalia — cartoon bongs, colorful glass pipes, …
Arizona lawmakers continued to reshape the state’s cannabis landscape this session, advancing some proposals while watching others collapse under political and industry pressures. From new advertising restrictions to tighter buffers around preschools, the 2025 legislative session was marked by fierce debates over how far to expand—or rein in—marijuana and hemp regulation. Even as key measures …
